SSG Marc J. SmallUnited States Army

B Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne)

AUG 4, 1979 – FEB 12, 2009 | Faramuz, Afghanistan

Hometown: Collegeville, PA

Marc was a native of Collegeville, PA and would tailgate at Philadelphia Eagles games any chance he got. He volunteered for military service after being impacted by the terrorist attacks on 9/11/01. As a Medical Sergeant (18 Delta) with 3rd Special Forces Group, his training was some of the most academically intense of anything that the Armed Forces has to offer. To honor Marc’s legacy, his family established Small Steps in Speech.

Small Steps in Speech - Eagleville, PA

Marc was engaged to marry Amanda Charney (founder of Small Steps in Speech) when he returned from Afghanistan. Amanda is a school based speech and language pathologist specializing in early childhood development and developmental disorders within the realm of speech and language. Marc had dreams of Amanda opening her own private practice and came up with the name, “Small Steps in Speech” to symbolize her soon to be last name along with the small steps children must take to build their communication skills.

Marc’s family holds an annual fundraiser called the “On Your Marc 5K Run/Walk” which in the last 7 years has raised over $235,000 for Small Steps in Speech. Dog Tag Legacy Fund is proud to support Small Steps in Speech with grant funds to go towards their annual “On Your Marc” fundraiser.